Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Redux Reviews
Already a phenomenal game in its own right, Redux makes Strange Journey all the better with gameplay and narrative additions that only serve to enhance what was already present. Alex's presence in the plot adds an extra layer of tragedy to what was already one of the darkest stories in the franchise, and the Womb of Grief is one of the best dungeons in the series, offering a variety of fantastic new bosses, demons, and side-quests to play around with. The lack of Kaneko's original art is certainly a detriment to the overall aesthetic, but the base gameplay and dungeons have been left untouched, ensuring the core experience doesn't stray from the original's vision. Along with being the definitive way to play Strange Journey, Redux stands out as one of the best games in the Shin Megami Tensei franchise all around.
There are some minor graphical improvements and the music seems to be a bit more clear. But the largest improvement in that department is the fantastic opening cinematic and a few scattered cinematic scenes that were added in this version. You can easily tell which scenes were from the original by how grainy they are. But they are still functional. The new demons, some completely new to the series, all have wonderful art. It might be a negative to some that there is no English dub, but frankly I always play SMT games in Japanese so that doesn’t effect me at all. And the voice acting is quite good, especially for a portable game. This is a very long game, it took me just over 110 hours to see as much as I could with one playthrough. But there are additional regions you can go to in New Game+, also additional demons that you can battle and then fuse. So 110 hours is probably about half of what I will end up spending, especially if I want to finish out my Demon Compendium (it’s at 94% currently). I definitely consider this game well worth the $39.99 whether you played the original or not. They took a game that was really good, but rough around the edges, and made it what it always had the potential of being. I enjoyed Shin Megami Tensei IV: Apocalypse slightly more, but they are both masterpieces and two of the greatest games on the Nintendo 3DS regardless of genre. I’m not sure when the ATLUS SMT team will make a genuinely bad game, but it’s not this one. They are on an amazing streak and should be applauded for it.
Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Redux's challenging gameplay might not be for everyone, but those it does appeal to will find a well-crafted dungeon-crawling experience with a thought-provoking narrative.
Overall, Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Redux is a worthy installment on the 3DS not only as an enhanced port of a 2010 game but as just a regular 3DS title all on its own.
From its demon collecting and killer combat to its sci-fi South Pole setting, Strange Journey Redux is a fantastically engrossing adventure, and an excellent reason to get lost in your 3DS once again. As a remake of a DS classic, Redux adds in enough new content to make a replay worth your time, along with plenty of welcome accessibility tweaks to help let newcomers in on one of Shin Megami Tensei's best kept secrets. The lack of stereoscopic 3D and English voiceover is disappointing, but these are small complaints; Strange Journey is a can't-miss trip for JRPG fans.
A little more approachable but still a fantastic dungeon crawling experience.
With new demons and new dungeons, even if you played Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey once upon a time, you won't be bored or disappointed with this updated version of the adventure. Even if you're unfamiliar with the Shin Megami Tensei series, this game is definitely worth checking out.
Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey transcends the standard dungeon crawler. Posing innumerable questions about reality while using the dungeons themselves to full effect, it will keep players thinking even when slaying demons.
Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey is an intense, weird, and incredibly enjoyable dungeon crawler. Though newcomers may be understandably intimidated at its lack of hand-holding, Strange Journey’s intense world and deep fusion system make it one of the most unique RPGs on the 3DS.
Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Redux takes a classic game model, polishes it up to a mirror shine, and stuffs it full of things to collect and complete for those of us who love to tick off boxes. An extensive RPG with in-depth mechanics and a wonderfully dark storyline. The only downsides I can really find are that it can be a little grindy at times, and some of the mechanics can be a little obtuse at times, especially demon fusion.
Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Redux is a really long title for a really long game. But this game is a great swan song for the 3DS hardware and the perfect JRPG for on-the-go gaming next to Persona 4 Golden.
Overall, Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Redux is really a classic game in the JRPG and DRPG genre. From the engaging story that will really make you think at times, to the enjoyable dungeon crawling and intense combat, you have a game that fans of both genres will enjoy. Fans who have played the original Strange Journey will find plenty to do here in this remake of the game. Once again Atlus has delivered a gem that is easily one of the best games out this year.
Strange Journey is a stark contrast. I never found myself confused on what I was supposed to do next and after committing to some light reading of the tutorials I felt like I had grasp on all of the different mechanics available to me. I can wholly recommend this as a litmus test for fans of Persona 5 who haven't yet gotten into the main Shin Megami Tensei series.
Nintendo 3DS titles are few and far between these days. But if you’re still enjoying the system and are looking for a mature, dungeon crawler JRPG then Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Redux is definitely worth your time (and you’ll be using a lot of it here). Even if you’ve played through Strange Journey in the past, the amount of new content jammed into this remaster justifies another play-through alone. If you’re a newcomer to the Shin Megami Tensei series, Strange Journey Redux is a great jumping on point and will likely get you invested in other games in the series.
Despite all the years since it was released in our region for the Nintendo DS, Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Redux makes a great comeback with new graphic features, but lacks at some of its navigation and content improvements.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
One of the best Shin Megami Tensei games returns, mixing standard Japanese role-playing with the series' typically provocative story elements and Persona style gameplay.
With the various quality of life improvements, Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Redux is simply a more playable version of an already great game. I really enjoyed it the first time around nine years ago, and replaying it today reminds of why it was the ideal game to introduce me to the Shin Megami Tensei franchise.
Atlus hasn't made that many significant changes to the story, and that's fine, considering that the original plot was strong enough on its own. At the end of the day, Strange Journey Redux is still a solid dungeon-crawling RPG that fans of the genre will thoroughly enjoy.
Can I recommend this to you? Yeah, pretty much. I liked Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Redux; it's a lot of fun to revisit its new take on the SMT formula, and it reawakened my passion for the SMT games as a whole after having not played one for so long.
Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Redux gives players another chance to play a wonderfully-crafted RPG. Even if you took the plunge nearly a decade ago, there's still reason to jump back in.